anyone brought at auction??

[ponio_uno]

if so how did it turn out?? you always hear the bad stories... anyone got any good ones?!

I'mthinking of buying a little sec A/B at auction if i see any good ones.. just to break/bring on!! so just wandered about anyone elses experiences with auctions

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Some years ago I bought a pony at auction, he was the age & ability that was stated & he was really nice. Worked on him for a few months & later sold him on & doubled my money. Providing you really have a good look at the horse & take advantage of the vet looking at him within an hour of your purchase you should be alright.

It's not true that all horses that go through auctions have problems. Obviously some do buit you can pick up real bargains...but remember 'Buyer Beware!'

 

[Eceni]

Strangles in the summer, sweet itch in the winter....

which is to say, you have no come back if they have conditions you can't see and the owner either doesn't know about (strangles - the stress of an auction on the horses is extraordinary and any carriers are likely to begin to shed) or chooses not to tell you about (sweet itch).

I'd always ask why a horse was at auction and why it hadn't been sold any other way.

having said all of which, there are some genuine horses out there who's owners are just desperate to sell immediately - but few and far betwee

and

make sure you can age any prospective horse. I've lost count of the number of '6' year olds I've seen who were anything from 3 to over 12 (at which point my ability to age becomes a bit hazy)

good luck

E

 

[lucysnapshot]

i bought my lad at an auction in ireland and hes been fantastic (irish tb btw) would buy again from an auction

 

[ponio_uno]

lucy.. my current horse was brought at auction in irland.. not by me though i should say!?

Eceni... i've seen that in the showring as well.. at local level.. with one horse in particular managing to stay at the age of 6 for three years = S?! thanks for the advise.. i must be honest i haqdn't thought of the whole sweet itch aspect!

Toby_Zaphod... it's good to hear a positive story about actions... HA... and yes i think the "buyer beware" saying is a very true one when it comes to auctions!!

will just have to keep my eyes open and myself on the ball HA

 

[the watcher]

I have, but papered TBs for racing, I assume you are talking about quite different auctions.
there are bargains to be had but go with a shopping list of what is essential (and what you are prepared to pay), and don't allow yourself to look at anything else or bid higher

 

[Happytohack]

I bought an ex polo pony at auction a few years ago. I did the stupid thing of buying her because I felt sorry for her! She was sold as sound apart from being blind in one eye which didn't seem to bother her. Unfortunately within a week, it was obvious that she was lame - my vet told me that she was lame in both front legs and that she also had a cataract in her good eye, the lameness was chronic - probably caused by old polo injuries. She had a lovely conformation and a sweet temperament so I gave her away as a broodmare.

 

[ponio_uno]

[ QUOTE ]
I bought an ex polo pony at auction a few years ago. I did the stupid thing of buying her because I felt sorry for her! She was sold as sound apart from being blind in one eye which didn't seem to bother her. Unfortunately within a week, it was obvious that she was lame - my vet told me that she was lame in both front legs and that she also had a cataract in her good eye, the lameness was chronic - probably caused by old polo injuries. She had a lovely conformation and a sweet temperament so I gave her away as a broodmare.

[/ QUOTE ]

that's awfully sad

poor pony

 

[charlie76]

This came from Hereford Horse Sales

This came from Reading Market

This came from Goresbridge

And we have had lots more good ones too! You do need to be careful and read between the lines.

 

[lucysnapshot]

i bought my boy from goresbridge! agree you have to be careful!

 

[Happytohack]

[quote
that's awfully sad

poor pony

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes - but she is still happy and loves being a mummy, so a happy ending to a sad start.

 

[ponio_uno]

well you seem to have saved her... you have to ask the question why didnt the previous owner do that to start with.. Oh well as long as shes living a happy life now...

charlie76 ... WOW luffly horses.. the top one is just my type... BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

[Honeypots]

My mare came from Southall Market...not somewhere I would recommend for the fainthearted but plenty of decent enough types go through there especially youngsters....However, I wouldn't recommend buying from an auction/market unless you know what you're doing..I had a regular with me when I got my mare and she's been fab..came home with a raging cold though but apart from that no probs..

 

[gothdolly]

I bought Domi for £500 at Whatton horse sale. I was 13 years old, had drawn my savings out of the post office, and I just fell in love with him. I bought him before he went into the sale ring because I was desperate for him. The guy who was selling him was a "traveller type" and didnt give me any details about his temperament or anything, just told me he was Appaloosa x connemara and he was rising 2 (both correct details as we later found his breeder).

My parents were at the sale ground and although they did not approve of my choice they fortunately did not stop me buying him, as they thought he looked healthy enough and also was clearly young and unbroken - so hopefully no vices

Later we found out that the reason that Domi was for sale was because he had been an absolute nightmare to handle, and he kicked and bit and was agressive with his previous owners. He was not like that with us though, so maybe he was just scared and unhandled. My dad and I immediately started training him right from basics, took him back to square 1 and he was lovely to handle. Maybe he just needed to trust us.

It all turned out really well and I would definately do it again, but probably only to buy another "untouched" youngster. I dont want to inherit anyone elses problems/mistakes.

Cassandra

 

[ponio_uno]

[ QUOTE ]
It all turned out really well and I would definately do it again, but probably only to buy another "untouched" youngster. I dont want to inherit anyone elses problems/mistakes.

Cassandra

[/ QUOTE ]

agreed with the buying an untouched horse/pony.... sounds fab.... will have to see when any of the local ones are on!! and have a treck down!

 

[Law]

I bought mine from an auction (more a meat market than auction

)
He was there for sale through a dealer who needed shot of him quick. He was 10 years old and the sales description said "upstanding horse" and not a novice ride (which with hindsight meant he was a rearer but I didn't clock that!) A lot of the horses that I had marked as potential ones to buy on my catalogue were not as described- either older, younger or doped!

I gave him a clean sheet and never pushed him at all for 12 months- he had a lovely time although got a little high spirited jumping in his field as opposed to in the arena.
12 months after I got him the vet came to do his vacs and recognised him and told me some of his history. Basically he should have been shot as he's fractured his owners jaw and hospitalised her and her husband went nuts and demanded he was destroyed. Vet refused and he went to a dealer (a) dealer sold him to B who was a teenager and as temperamental as he was so they met at logger heads and he got the better of her. Her instructor advised that they gave him back to the dealer to get something more suitable which was when he ended up at the auction... and in my ownership. I knew none of the above when I bought him and 2 years later I have the best horse ever! We go xcing, sjing, dressage, showing and have a great time. Yes he is a bU@@er sometimes and thinks he knows it all, opinionated and full of attitude but all of that makes his what he is- very capable, finds learning new things easy and he's just a lovely person with a few quirks!

That's is my experience so it can go well but beware- sometimes they are not all as they appear at the sales!

 

[gothdolly]

[ QUOTE ]
. I knew none of the above when I bought him and 2 years later I have the best horse ever! We go xcing, sjing, dressage, showing and have a great time. :

[/ QUOTE ]

Do you think that part of your success with him was because you did not know of his history and therefore did not approach him with any pre-concieved ideas? We wondered whether our success with Domi was because we didnt know that he was supposed to be nasty, so just treated him confidently and calmly and he responded to that?

Anyway, 16 years on I still think that he was £500 very well spent

Even if he was being a VERY naughty boy on Saturday

 

[Lill]

Blue was bought at an auction

he was a scruffy coloured horse being sold by a gypsy traveller woman and he was very laid back and obviously quite young (she said rising 4 we think more like rising 3

) and still had quite a lot of growing to do! We paid £950 for him and he was such a bargain! He's now coming up for 7yo we've had him almost 4 years now. He's a bully in the field, immune to the whip and doesn't like dogs round his feet but apart from that he's amazing. He's a very friendly loving horse but quite possessive over me i.e. if he's 'talking' to me in the field no other horses are allowed to come near! He'll jump round a BN course quite happily and could do a reasonable Prelim dressage test, hacks alone/in company perfectly - not tried XC but he loves water so think he'd probably like it! Bearing in mind when we got him all he would do was a sort of running trot and walk i think he's come on really well!!

But then i also think we were quite lucky when we picked him!

 

[sunsation]

I bought an OTTB at a performance auction. He turned out pretty well, and is now out there somewhere competing D/C grade reasonably well. (I sold him) Just about all the horses I saw there were good quality, though it was not an auction to just get rid of unwanted horses.

Here's my old boy

 

[juliebrewer]

this one came from Southall market in London as a foal
He was fab, now sold

To this in 7 years

Bourght his brother at builth wells auction in wales, as a foal, he is now 3 yo. and lovely..

And this one was bourght at builth wells in wales as a 4 month old foal, he is now 4, broken and turned away

Yesterday

I don't mind getting at sales but then I only get youngsters..

 

[magic104]

One of the best ponies my daughter had came out of Melton Mowbray auction. She was a Reg Sec A 4yr old, & compared to what she was sold for later was an absolute bargain. She was being sold by her breeder & they had obviously done a good job with the handling as she was very easy to start under saddle.

 

[tabithakat64]

I think you have to be very careful, I worked in a riding school as a teenager and they used to buy from Barnet horse fair, the bad horses they brought outweighed the good ones and they knew what they were doing...
Saying that my friend brought a New Forest youngster at auction and he was an angel whose almost certain to go onto do great things

 

[ladylisa]

We have bought 4 section a ponies in the last 2 years from our local horse market (Derby)
The first was an untouched totally wild colt he cost only £168. we eventually gained his trust, had him cut and won loads in-hand the next summer.
We have never had any big problems, the only one was a pony we bought for the kids to ride while their pony was being schooled, he was brill to ride and really new his job, but hated kids, if they weht near him he would kick and bite, and he really meant it! when they were getting on him he would try to kick them, so we would have to throw the kids on safely.

 

[emma69]

Bought a lot from sales, both warrented sales, and not - luckily I was generally playing with my boss's money! There were a pretty good selection of youngsters in the unwarrented, you have to assume they haven't been broken in - I don't think I ever rode a horse at a sale (tho lots did) You need to either check the horse over very carefully (everything from it's feet, to feeling its legs right up to looking at its eyes to see if it has been doped) - but there are no guarentees of course! Set a strict budget, and stick to it - its not the place to get sentimental. You basically need to not spend more than you can afford to lose (and them some, because vets bills can get expensive!) Also, when we were buying them, they were 'absorbed' into a large yard to the point they cost virtually nothing to keep - you rarely make much money buying a 4 year old to break / bring on and sell - keeping it on livery / one horse owner, time and effort and advertising soon mount up! Everything was isolated when it came back, they will need vaccinations and worming, and the amount of lice and ringworm at sales is yucky too. Usually get the farrier / dentist out too in the first couple of weeks.

All that said, we got some fantastic horses from sales, everything from job-lot horses from ireland, to one-horse owner that needed a quick sale, through to the trouble makers, some of whom really only needed knowledge and patience. Also a fair few youngsters who someone had attempted to break (badly) and needed a total break and then a slow start again.

Good luck.

 

[Partoow]

There are auctions and auctions! I have bought quite a few horses at auction in this country and in Germany.
I have bought for myself and my clients from the Brightwells Auction at Addington and they have all been fab. They are all vetted and xrayed .
Same for the auctions from the breed fraternities in Germany and Holland. They enable the breeders to have an audience for their products and they give buyers a chance to see a lot of good horses in one place. Via this type of auction it is not cheap! I visited the Oldenburg and Westphalian auction and one of the horses i tried went for 210,000 euros!!!!!!!!!!!!!!needless to say i passed on that one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The one i actually went for sold for 3x's my max budget!!!!!!so sometimes it gets crazy!!! but there are some exellent horses sold this way.
Judy Harvey's Fitz and Lou wega are from the Brightwells as was Charlotte Dujardin's Fernando.These are but a few!
So auctions dont always have to be a lottery in terms of quality but you sure do have to have a steel will not to over spend!!!!!!